International Law in Japanese Perspective – serie

This monograph analyses the historical evolution of the laws of occupation as a special branch of international humanitarian law (IHL), focusing on the extent to which this body of law has been transformed by its interaction with the development of international human rights law. It argues that a large part of the laws of occupation has proved to be malleable while being able to accommodate changing demands of civilians and any other persons affected by occupation in modern context. Its examinations have drawn much on archival research into the drafting documents of the instruments of IHL, including the aborted Brussels Declaration 1874, the 1899/1907 Hague Regulations, the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the 1977 Additional Protocol I. After assessing the complementary relationship between international human rights law and the laws of occupation, the book examines how to provide a coherent explanation for an emerging framework on the rights of individual persons affected by occupation. It engages in a theoretical appraisal of the role of customary IHL and the Martens clause in building up such a normative framework.

This book examines a long-standing dispute regarding the prerequisite for the exercise of the right to self-defence and aims to offer a possible better alternatives for interpreting the significance of the precondition provided for in the Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, by taking a historical perspective on the development of that concept from the mid-19th century to 1945. The book defines the right of self-defence as understood in and before 1945, suggesting the typology which represents the strata of the concept. It will contribute to the current debate regarding the right of self-defence in contemporary international law, including that against terrorism, by providing a framework to analyse the state practice since 1945.

Japanese Approaches to International Law analyses historical developments, controversies, and future challenges regarding Japan’s contribution to the making and implementation of international law. Each chapter discusses the Japanese government’s positions on issues related to international law, relevant theories and concepts developed in Japanese academia, and leading domestic cases, laws, and policies, which have facilitated or hindered the effective implementation of international law in Japan. This book, based on domestic legal materials, policy documents, and academic literature, is a comprehensive handbook for readers to better understand Japanese approaches to international law.

Professor Toshiki Mogami, the featured figure of this memorial edition, has developed his academic career in international law and politics. Professor Mogami’s original normative and analytical framework is characterized by himself as Jus Contra Anarchism et Oligarchism: international law against interstate and institutionalised violence. The editors extract the very essence of his teachings from Professor Mogami’s masterpieces, specifically, International Law as Constructive Resistance towards Peace and Justice.